Urban Exploration - The Tropical Nightclub
We received photos from a traveler and compiled them into a historical summary.
Here is a visit to a former nightclub, one with a rather "family" feel, located in a village. The establishment itself isn't very large; it was what you might call a local haunt, beloved by the youth of the area. Appreciated for what it was, it enjoyed considerable success.
When I arrive on-site, I have no idea what to expect, mainly because this dot on my map is "silent": I had simply spotted a house in a degraded state—clearly abandoned—but I knew nothing more.
Upon entering the house, I find ultra-intense damage and am ready to turn back. Just to be sure, I head upstairs and find only misery and desolation. Everything has been systematically trashed. This passion for breaking everything is something I will resolutely never understand.
Ready to clear out, I go back down to the entrance hallway. Right before me, a staircase descends, decorated with bamboo. "Alright," I think, "one quick look with the flashlight..."
And there, a surprise: it’s vast. It is actually a large extension of the house, a spacious addition that allowed for the creation of a nightclub with three rooms, each with a different atmosphere.
A wide patio overlooks the river immediately adjacent. Even though the glass is gone, you can still feel a most pleasant Spanish vibe. This was the bar. Drink tickets still litter the counter.
Behind it lies a fairly large, dark room that constitutes the highlight of the show. The walls are decorated with paintings of ladies in more than suggestive poses. It’s very well painted, full of color, and in reality, quite astonishing.
There is no lack of originality here. As is usual with abandoned nightclubs, it’s dark, dirty, and gloomy; it’s a world of "bling-bling" kitsch that only flashing spotlights and a flood of deafening music could bring to life in such a peculiar universe.
This establishment owed its strong success to its family-oriented side: a nice little club near a city, yet simple and tucked away. No neighborhood nuisances—it was a good life. The music selection, specifically focused on 80s hits, was highly appreciated.
The club was created in 1983. At the start, it was just a house—a plush one, but just a house. It was through sheer determination that the extensions were built. The club closed in 1995, then, following new projects, reopened in 2003. The paintings of the ladies are dated 2004.
In the final years, there were changes in ownership, leading to what the press described as erratic management, to say the least. This plunged the establishment into dubious financial situations, and finally, permanent closure.
The place was primarily known for a sensational event in August 2006. In the dead of night, a conflict broke out on the dance floor. According to one witness, a person went to the cloakroom to prepare to leave; according to another account, they returned to the floor. Knives were drawn.
A trial in the lower court, followed by an appeal in 2007, led to that person’s imprisonment.
The site has been abandoned for about ten years and, unfortunately, is the target of absolutely frenzied vandalism. Not much remains, but at the very least, what a delight to discover those paintings!
